Ontario Early Years Literacy E-Bulletin March 2009 |
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Hi there, Here is the March 2009 Early Literacy E-Bulletin. This month, I have focussed on Learning Environments & Reading Aloud with Young Children. If you do not want to receive the Early Literacy E-Bulletin, please email me and I will take your name off my list. If you know someone who might want to receive the E-Bulletin, ask them to email or telephone me and I will put their address on my list. Deb Nesbitt-Munroe ___________________________________________________________ ** Early Literacy E-Bulletin ** March 2009 ** Learning Environments & Reading Aloud with Young Children ** ____________________________________________________________ ** Learning Environments ** The Role of Pretend Play in Children’s Cognitive Development Although play has been a well-established curriculum component in early childhood education, the increasing emphasis on accountability appears to have led to a corresponding decline in the general understanding of the important contribution that high-quality play-especially pretend play-can make to children's cognitive development in the early years. This article defines the cluster of concepts related to pretend play and cognition; briefly synthesizes the latest research on the role of such play in children's cognitive, social, and academic development; and discusses the challenges and potential policy directions suggested by these research findings. http://ecrp.uiuc.edu/v4n1/bergen.html
Creating a Learning Environment for Young Children Effective preschool classrooms are places where children feel well cared for and safe. They are places where children are valued as individuals and where their needs for attention, approval and affection are supported. They are also places where children can be helped to acquire a strong foundation in the knowledge and skills needed for school success. http://www.ed.gov/teachers/how/early/teachingouryoungest/page_pg4.html#environment
Designing the Environment to Build Connection to Place Carol Anne Wien, Annette Coates, Bobbi-Lynn Keating, and Barbara Christine Bigelow “How do teachers respond first to a crisis in their center, then to a larger crisis in their city? And how do these crises affect the design of an environment for three- to five-year-olds? This article shows how an environment’s design shifts, evolves, flourishes and builds connections among children, staff and place as teachers respond to local crises.” http://www.journal.naeyc.org/btj/200505/05Wien.asp
Educating Young Children: Active Learning Practices for Preschool and Child Care Programs http://www.ecdgroup.com/download/gh1eycxi.pdf
Montessori-based Learning Environment Pictures http://www.flickr.com/photos/montessoribyhand/sets/72157602128379274/
High Scope program Slide show http://www.highscope.org/slideshow.asp?SlideshowId=18
Reggio Children Newsletter http://zerosei.comune.re.it/pdfs/rechildnews10.pdf http://zerosei.comune.re.it/pdfs/rechild08.pdf
Aesthetic Codes in
Early Childhood Classrooms: http://www.designshare.com/Research/Tarr/Aesthetic_Codes_1.htm ____________________________________________________________ ** Reading Aloud with Young Children ** The Reading Chair “Nurturing early literacy means more than having a library corner stocked with good books. Books can and should be sprinkled throughout the classroom interest areas so that they become an integral part of daily activities.” This article has great ideas to incorporate books into interest centres and other curriculum areas. http://journal.naeyc.org/btj/200705/pdf/ReadingChair.pdf
The Power of Planning: Developing Effective Read Alouds While the importance of reading aloud with children is well documented, it can be difficult to implement read-aloud strategies that support emergent literacy while reading to a group of young children. This article outlines how to plan read-aloud time so that the children get the most out of the experience. http://journal.naeyc.org/btj/200811/pdf/BTJReadingAloud.pdf
Choosing Books and Reading Aloud to Children This video clip shows good read-aloud strategies and techniques to use with groups of children. It is a presentation written and narrated by Sarah Howard, Daniel Boone Regional Library Children’s Services Librarian. Ms. Howard suggests that when reading with larger groups it is a good strategy to not ask questions of the group because it might distract them from the text. This is something that practitioners can decide upon depending on their group and their goals for that particular reading. Interactive reading, such as the dialogic reading strategy that encourages questioning, has been proven to improve language skills in children. That said, this video does provide good information from an experienced story reader. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xw4ebg0jV4o
Reading Aloud to Children This video clip shows a very fun and exuberant reader, who uses lots of voices and sounds as she reads. She (Bee Lady) provides tips on good read-aloud techniques. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dm_uEgELsRo&feature=related
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? Read by Bill Martin Jr., the author of Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdHCYgO9zh8&feature=related
_____________________________________________________________ ** Resources ** Carol Hurst’s Children’s Literature Site This is a collection of reviews of great books for kids, ways to use books in the classroom, and collections of books and activities about particular subjects, curriculum areas, themes and professional topics.
Ottawa Public Library • Bibliothèque Public d’Ottawa This site has book lists and other literacy information. http://www.biblioottawalibrary.ca/kids/index_e.html
2009 Notable Children’s Books List from the American Library Association Each year a committee of the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) identifies the best of the best in children's literature. http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alsc/awardsgrants/childrensnotable/notablechibooks/index.cfm
Top 100 Children’s Books This list of teacher-recommended books was compiled by the National Education Association from an online survey in 2007. http://libraries.state.ma.us/pages/top100
International Reading Association’s Children’s Choices Booklist A booklist with a twist! Children themselves evaluate the books and write reviews of their favourites. http://www.reading.org/Resources/Booklists/ChildrensChoices.aspx
Wordless Books Tip Sheet for Parents. http://www.familyliteracyexpertise.org/Training/ebull/WordlessBooksTipSheetforParents.pdf
Reading for All Tastes - handout for parents. http://www.familyliteracyexpertise.org/Training/ebull/ReadingforallTastes.pdf _____________________________________________________________ ** Article for daycare newsletters - feel free to download and copy this article for parents **
Over and Over and Over….an article for parents about reading with children. http://www.familyliteracyexpertise.org/Training/ebull/OverandOverandOver.pdf ______________________________________________________________ ** Taking Stock of what you do to promote literacy **
This inventory can be used to help you develop good literacy practices at your centre. http://www.journal.naeyc.org/btj/200303/PromotingLiteracy.pdf#xml ______________________________________________________________ ** A little fun for you. **
Hudson’s Favourite New Book This is a fun clip of a father reading Blue Hat, Green Hat by Sandra Boynton at bedtime. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyPVKbZkXnc&feature=related _______________________________________________________________ |
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